Green tourism as an effective business in the village. Tourism: ecological, green or rural

It is often during the holidays that residents of densely populated cities want to go as far away from civilization as possible in order to enjoy pure nature, natural products and countryside peace.

In recent years, this desire has become so widespread that it has grown into a whole original direction - green and ecological tourism. Today, many countries offer such types of recreation, even forming special programs for potential guests.

What you need to know about them, and what features the organization of such a direction has, let's figure it out.

Ecological tourism

Ecotourism is a fashionable direction of recreation, the essence of which is a purposeful journey through natural, preferably untouched by civilization, territories in order to study them, as well as rest without changing the existing ecosystem. This type of travel involves the fulfillment of a large number of conditions from the tourist.

Among them:

Active participation in the life of the community to which a person has arrived, especially educational activities are encouraged;
Minimal use of synthetic products during travel, minimization of waste. In some cases, a complete rejection of artificial materials in favor of natural analogues will be encouraged here;
Careful attitude to natural resources, including plants, water bodies. Careful use of renewable sources;
The study of the functioning of an ecosystem without interfering with its normal development. In many cases, educational lectures are allowed both during the stay on such a trip and on its results.

Ecotourism as a direction with all its rules arose relatively recently. So only in the second half of the last century it began to be actively practiced, however, only Africa was the object of study then.

Very quickly, this direction has grown all over the world, and today you can find good educational tours to any corner.

Of course, not all of them have such a pronounced educational mission and strictly follow the general guidelines for the use of only natural and meticulous study of the biosystem. However, such tourism is still focused on respect for nature.

Everyone is recommended to take the opportunity to go on an eco tour at least once. Such trips are useful not only for getting new sensations, but also for maximizing the restoration of body resources.

They are especially good for those who work in offices, in production and practically never go out in nature. In just a week, two people are fully restored here.

Ecotourism has, of course, its own characteristics in the organization. In particular, when preparing a trip in this direction, the tourist must:

Find a region where there will be no industry. Nearby factories, plants, even if they give minimal emissions, are unlikely to contribute to full-fledged recreation;
Find out in advance in what conditions you will live in the selected region. It often happens that upon arrival in that very coveted remote corner, tourists find that there is no running water and even a normal toilet in the house. If such factors do not scare you, go on an eco-tour boldly. If not, choose your accommodation very carefully;
Arrange meals. A full-fledged ecological tourism implies that a person will not only be in a clean territory, but will also change his diet, adding fresh homemade products to it. Moreover, there is no shortage of them in rural areas. By the way, you can also agree with the hostess that you will cook on your own by buying food from her, or you can order a full-fledged ready-made meal from her. She will surely go forward;
provide cultural program. The main disadvantage of living in such resort areas is the lack of entertainment. Because of it, already on the third day, many tourists leave a cozy place and move closer to gassed, but much more promising cities in terms of entertainment.

The most suitable eco-tourism for young people who want to retire during the holidays, radically change the situation. But for people who do not want to move as far as possible from the benefits of civilization, you can pay attention to a very similar direction - green tourism. It is somewhat less demanding and involves less immersion in the natural environment.

Green tourism

Green tourism is one of the most popular destinations ecological tourism. Its essence is that for some time, those who want to relax in this way move to the village and lead a local way of life.

Full green recreation may involve growing in free time certain plants, grazing small livestock, as well as participation in other crafts. However, usually such activities for vacationers are episodic and are much more educational in nature than labor.

Also, it is the concept of green tourism that includes visiting various ethnic festivals, folk holidays, theatrical performances, if, of course, the visitor is going to become their participant.

Green tourism is the best fit for family vacation especially if there are children in the family. As practice shows, it is to them that the greatest pleasure is brought by acquaintance with animals, as well as primitive work in the garden, in the field, picking berries in the forest.

Of course, with the greatest enthusiasm, such a holiday is perceived by children under 6 years old. But for children aged 8 and older, such a vacation may seem a little boring. Unless, of course, botany or zoology is their main passion.

The advantages of green tourism compared to standard ecological tourism are that the traveler here does not have to follow all the rules. You can pick up any convenient food, settle in less remote areas and rely more on social communication, perceiving rural life as a pleasant plus.

And who knows, maybe over time this will become the impetus for a more stringent ecological variation.

Ecological and green tourism in Poland

Contrary to popular belief, in order to enjoy this type of holiday, you do not need to go to distant islands where no human has yet set foot.

Beautiful green places with untouched nature and authentic life is full on our continent. And almost everywhere tourists are always welcome. Farms can work on them all year round, even at the time of active harvest.

In the direction of "green tourism" one of the leaders among the closely located European countries is Poland. Already today in this country there are at least 15,000 farms ready to provide such services to foreigners, and their number, as well as the demand for such types of recreation, is constantly growing.

It is expected that they will soon replace the previously popular calm and already bored hotels. Such farms are located almost throughout the country, because almost everywhere for this it is quite suitable climate and condition environment. Today, all farms in Poland operating in this particular area, if desired, can be divided into two main, slightly different areas.

Rural tourism, in which the visitor only lives on special estates where farming is not carried out. This option is ideal for those who have just come to this direction and are not yet ready to fully plunge into farm everyday life;
Agrotourism, in which the visitor settles directly in an ordinary village house, can observe the classic rural life from the inside and take an active part in it.

According to this principle, the most interesting objects, where, by the way, you can go even with children older than three years.

Every year, it is thanks to this direction that the country's economy receives multimillion-dollar profits. The service sector is developing very actively; special seminars and workshops are held for its participants. Thanks to all this, the stay of lovers of green recreation in Poland becomes more and more pleasant every year.

This type of service is currently in demand by tourists from all countries, while the poorer the area in which there are proposals for stay, the richer the country whose residents stay here. So they can actually get to know wildlife and enjoy natural products and quiet rural joys, without actually leaving the Schengen borders.

Almost all of them get to their destinations in the same way: by train to the nearest major station, and from there by bus. There is no alternative route. Local rail links do not provide remote regions.

There is an opportunity to go within the framework of such a tour to this country for everyone. In order for this question to take you a minimum of time, you need to prepare the following:

Choose the right tour. If you wish, you can make it yourself by contacting a representative of any farm you like. However, if you entrust this issue to the company, you will be able to get a visa faster and easier. In addition, here you can immediately specify the budget of the vacation, and the list of entertainment, and living conditions. With a personal organization, these issues can be difficult;
Issue a standard tourist visa for the required number of days. The cost of this issue will be from 35 euros - a consular fee, and will take into account the costs of obtaining, or the services of specialized firms in obtaining permission to enter Poland;
Prepare everything you need to live in such conditions. Obviously, you will need medicines, essentials, a minimum of household chemicals, and money with you. Please note that even if you prefer to bring them into Poland on a card, after crossing the border and before going directly to the selected farm, withdraw enough currency for all days of your stay. So you can pay in local shops, with the owners of the house and other villagers as needed. Cards in such places may not be serviced;
Collect information about the place where such tourism will be organized for you. In advance, study the reviews of other people who have visited the facility, specify what disadvantages it has, what it is better to take with you additionally, and what things you can already find there in abundance. All this will greatly simplify the collection process for you.

Travelers who choose this type of vacation rarely get into unpleasant situations, but you need to be prepared for everything on the road.

Remember, if something went wrong in Poland, you lost your documents, money, ticket card, you cannot find your way to your future place of residence, you can safely contact the consulate (if you are still in major city), or to the police if you have already managed to leave it. Here you will get the help you need.

Most employees local authorities speak English, they also partly understand Russian and Ukrainian. Having provided all these moments, you will be able to adequately prepare for the trip and enjoy all the pleasant moments that green tourism gives. And perhaps very soon you will again want to return to just such a healthy and calm type of vacation.

Sergey and Svetlana Podmogilny

A few years ago, a new term appeared in Ukrainian tourism: “rural green tourism”. Development of this interesting direction is progressing every year. It would seem marvelous to rest in the countryside, which already has more than enough trouble, but everything has its own explanation ...

The tradition of rural green tourism (hereinafter referred to as NWT) began to develop in Europe about half a century ago. For Ukraine, the aforementioned term is new, but it would be useful to recall that the tradition of this type of recreation in Ukraine is older than it seems. After all, the hospitality of rural residents has long been known. For example, as early as the beginning of the 20th century, well-known figures of culture, science, and politics came to the Carpathians for treatment or rest in the mountains with their owners: I. Franko, L. Ukrainka, M. Grushevsky, V. Hnatyuk, and others.

Now the development of green tourism in Ukraine is engaged in "Splika to promote the development of rural green tourism in Ukraine". This organization concentrates data on green tourism in different regions of the country. She is engaged in its advertising and promotion, holding conferences, thematic exhibitions. One of the important activities of Spilka is trainings and seminars for those who are engaged in green tourism, that is, for the owners. The quality of the reception of tourist guests, which is growing from year to year, depends on the latter.

What is attractive rural green tourism?

In general, the concept of "green tourism" in a nutshell is a vacation in private farms in the countryside, which is interesting for tourist sites.

The main thing that attracts in green tourism is a complex of factors that favorably affect a person: health, aesthetic, cognitive.

Rest in the countryside is not a resort where there are many tourists. Here is a calming and relaxing environment, which is especially necessary for city dwellers! Many people prefer to meet the New Year or Christmas holidays, relax with friends in such conditions. It is very convenient for families and small groups.

In most cases, a calm atmosphere is supported by a positive emotional impact on the tourist of the surrounding area, whether it be mountains or forests, rivers, lakes or the sea, etc. By the way, very often the landscapes and ecology of the chosen area are the basis for choosing a vacation spot in a rural area.

The hosts, for the convenience of tourists, often, in addition to the provided living conditions of different categories (see below) and homemade, delicious and natural food services, offer a whole range of additional services: for example, picking berries and mushrooms, excursions or hiking in the mountains, and much more that enriches the holiday. Isn't it important individual approach hosts to each "their" tourist and, especially, to children, who will be able to try homemade milk, bee honey, and an apple straight from the tree.

Well, how not to remember the prices! This type of recreation is very attractive at prices, because it offers a flexible system.

What does Ukraine offer?

Here is information on the regions that provide NWT services in Ukraine with a brief description:

Western region. Occupies a predominant place in terms of supply and demand.

Hint three: come to tourism exhibitions where you will definitely find "fresh" offers. For your information, in May of this year in Kyiv on the territory State Museum architecture and life of Ukraine, the third all-Ukrainian exhibition-fair “Ukrainian Village Request” was successfully held, where proposals from different regions of Ukraine were presented.

Hint four: you will find holiday offers in the centers tourist information which appeared recently in some regional centers.

If this bothers you, call us - we will definitely help.

Come be sure, the owners are waiting for you!

Such a direction as ecotourism is gaining more and more popularity. This is an ideal option for those who not only want to relax with maximum benefit for health, but also to bring this benefit to the planet.

What does eco-tourism mean? First of all, to travel without causing the slightest harm to nature, bearing for the world responsibility. In particular, this can be realized through concrete feasible assistance local population in maintaining natural landscape, wealth, culture, as well as contributing to the economic and social development of the area. Ecotourists try to get as close as possible to the culture and customs of the region they are visiting at a certain moment. They participate in various actions to save wildlife, take care of the environment with all possible and environmentally friendly methods, take on an educational mission, telling the local population about the features of a particular region, about possible threats, about the need to care for the planet.

As for one's own health, in ecotourism it is permissible to visit only those natural protected areas, monuments, forests, which are environmentally friendly. The most popular areas for "green" tourism are UNESCO monuments, as well as places with exceptional nature or cultural heritage. In Russia, the directions of ecotourism are trips to Karelia, to Baikal, the Urals, mountain Altai, Caucasus, Kamchatka, Yakutia, Far East.

The concept of "green" travel includes hiking, horse riding, water, mountain and cycling tourism. Ideal destinations among non-CIS countries for ecotourists are: Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Croatia, New Zealand.

Beach holidays can also be classified as ecotourism, however, such beaches must comply with all international standards, for which they receive the Blue Flag award for a period of one year. Last year the most a large number of « blue flags” received Spain (540 awards for beaches, 98 for sports courts), in second place is Greece (394 “flags”), followed by France (358), Turkey (335), Portugal (275), Denmark (253), Italy (247) and others. One "Blue Flag" has a yacht berth in St. Petersburg.

Founded in 1990 international organization Ecotourism (TIES) to support "green" tourism and everything related to it. So, for ecotourists, 10 basic rules were drawn up:

remember that the Earth is vulnerable;
leave only their own traces, take away only photographs, kill only time;
to learn the world in which he got: geography, local culture, traditions and customs;
treat local residents with respect;
do not buy products from manufacturers that endanger the environment;
always follow only the beaten paths;
support programs to protect the environment;
use various methods of environmental conservation wherever possible;
support conservation organizations;
travel with companies that support the principles of ecotourism.

I fulfill my promise to write about such as green tourism. I think that in Russia this business idea is very relevant. Firstly, this type of business is almost not developed in our country. Google for the query "Green tourism" gives the entire first page to Ukraine.

Ecological tourism

And not in vain, a scheme for advertising and the operation of this business has long been worked out there, and tourists from many countries come to Ukraine just for such a holiday. It is not the first year that I personally observe how cars with German numbers stand next to the outwardly completely unremarkable house, the photo of which I saw in the Green Tourism in Crimea booklet. Secondly, there are a huge number of beautiful places on our territory where you can successfully implement data.

Russian public organization - "Russian geographical society”, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, which is Vladimir Putin, and President Sergei Shoigu proclaimed the development of ecological tourism. I don’t think that this initiative is of much use to ordinary villagers, but thanks to this, at least one can take a loan under the “ecological tourism” trend. In the world, the topic of ecological, rural, green tourism has been developing since about the 60s, and in 1995 UNESCO developed the rules for ecotourism. These are not mandatory standards, but still it is better to adhere to them.

What is green (ecological, rural) tourism? There are several options:

1.Ecological tourism V untouched corners nature and recreational areas where biodiversity has been preserved and human pressure on nature is minimal.

equestrian tourism;
river rafting;
fishing;
hunting (by the way, UNESCO welcomes only photo hunting);

2. . If you live in a rural area, then more than once you have watched with a smile how the townspeople admire life in the countryside. They are touched and amazed by a live cow, a bathhouse that is heated “in a black way”, a well with a crane, the opportunity to sleep in a hammock under an apple tree or in a wooden house on the stove. And a brood of chickens is greeted with a joyful squeak not only by children, but also by adults. What attracts rural tourism:

fresh air;
environmentally friendly products;
acquaintance with flora and fauna;
recovery;
hunting for mushrooms and berries;
local kitchen.

3. Adventure tourism. Of course, this is not quite green tourism, but you can make an excellent business out of it in the village. After all, a man who came to breathe fresh air, you need something to entertain. Because eating kebabs for 2-3-4 weeks and steaming in a bath is too boring, and you need the tourist to leave satisfied, praise your services to friends and return next year. Here are some options (offers are more likely for foreigners, our tourists themselves have a wild imagination):

A trip to an abandoned village or city (it is advisable to come up with a scarier legend in advance and decide in which of the houses the ghost (brownie, lamb) will live);
A visit to the Russian mafia (I think that the roles of the godfather, his girlfriend and accomplices will be happy to be performed by your friends or actors of the local theater for a small fee)
Participation in a local ceremony - a wedding, the feast of Ivan Kupala, lighting a "bad house", etc.

In addition to the above tourists can be entertained like this:

Show local landmarks such as battlefields (from Genghis Khan and the Teutons to Napoleon and Hitler).
Take them to the nearest town to have a look local history museum, historical monuments and buy souvenirs.
Arrange a ride on a boat, quad bike, horse, dog sled, snowmobile, etc.
Teach how to milk a cow, feed chickens and weed carrots.

Where to start when deciding to engage in rural tourism? Firstly, if you are going to start this business without investment, then you just need to look around and decide what you can offer tourists. For example, a room in a wooden house, all amenities on the street, an outdoor shower, a garden, a pond, a river, a swamp with cranberries. Write everything. What you are used to, for someone may turn out to be a funny exotic. Secondly, ask the regional administration if there is any program to support and develop tourism. It is doubtful that they will help financially, but with advertising it is quite possible. In addition, thanks to the Internet, advertising can be given to the whole world. If you decide to work with foreigners, then translate your advertising into other languages and place it on the bourgeois Internet. You can contact travel agencies and offer them cooperation.

Green tourism in Russia is still a completely free niche, which, thanks to beautiful nature, rich history and many attractions will allow for many years to successfully develop this interesting business in the village.

In conclusion, I want to tell you that in Germany there is a program for the re-education of difficult teenagers, when they are sent for a long time to the Russian village, where they have to chop wood, heat the stove, go for water on their own. This program has been successfully operating for many years, and if you wish, you can try to find it on the Internet and offer your services as a family ready to accept a spoiled German boy or provide the Germans with an abandoned grandmother's house.

In general, there are many options, the main thing is not to sit still and not follow the beaten paths. And I will continue to write on the site about business in the village in general and about green tourism in particular, so do not forget to subscribe to RSS.

If you are in the mood for a serious business, then over time you will have employees, including drivers (excursions, meeting tourists at the station, etc.), then you will need gps monitoring of transport. thanks to modern technologies you will be able to control the drivers, fuel consumption and the location of the car.

Tourism: ecological, green or rural?

The use of the term eco-tourism in various contexts, as well as the increasingly fashionable terms rural tourism, green tourism, nature tourism, along with an abundance of other phrases that include the word tourism, such as adventure tourism, biotourism and others, can easily mislead not only ordinary tourist or the owner of a tourist homestead starting his own business, but also a specialist in the field of environmental protection. Let's try to figure out what ecotourism means and some related and sometimes unjustifiably identified with it concepts that are most often found in advertising publications and other media.

First ecotourism(ecotourism) was introduced to Africa in 1950, with the legalization of hunting (Kamuaro, 2007). This need for recreational hunting areas has led to the creation of nature reserves, national parks and hunting grounds. Today, these areas have become important high-income places. Since the late 1980s, the concepts of ecotourism, responsible tourism, and sustainable development have become predominant. The popularity of ecotourism reflects a change in tourist perceptions, an increase in environmental awareness, and a desire to learn more about the natural environment. Ecotourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry in the world and is growing by 10-15% annually (Kamuaro, 2007). The importance of ecotourism is evidenced by the fact that in 2002 the United Nations, which has a huge potential to protect the environment, celebrated the "International Year of Ecotourism".

In the diversity of tourism activities, on the way from traditional tourism to proper ecotourism, there is too much controversy regarding the limit at which the conservation of biodiversity, local socio-economic benefits and environmental impacts can be considered "ecotourism".

For this reason, environmentalists, special interest groups and governments define ecotourism in different ways. Environmental organizations tend to insist that ecotourism is nature-oriented, sustainably managed, conservationist, and environmentally educated. The tourism industry and governments, however, are paying more attention to the productive aspect, treating ecotourism on par with any other type of tourism that is connected with nature. Additional difficulties also arise due to the fact that many terms are used under the rubric of ecotourism.

Ideally, eco-tourism satisfies a range of criteria, including the conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity within the protection of ecosystems; promoting sustainable use of biodiversity, sharing socio-economic benefits with local communities based on informed consent and participation; increasing environmental and cultural knowledge; reducing the volume and production of waste; and minimizing its own impact on the environment.

Here are a few definitions, the most popular, and, in our opinion, the best way to reveal the essence of ecotourism. Ecotourism is nature-oriented tourism, including education and awareness in the field of the environment natural environment and managed in accordance with the principles of environmental sustainability. (Commonwealth Department of Tourism (1992), Australian National Ecotourism Strategy, Canberra).

Ecological tourism- these are purposeful trips to natural areas in order to understand the local culture and the history of the development of the natural environment, which do not violate the integrity of ecosystems, while protecting natural resources beneficial to local residents. (Ecotourism Society, 1994).

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines eco-tourism as “tourism with responsibility towards the environment in relatively undisturbed natural areas for the purpose of exploring and enjoying nature and cultural attractions, which contributes to the protection of nature, has a “soft” impact on the environment, ensures the active socio-economic participation of local residents and their benefits from these activities. (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1993a).

There is also a shorter conceptual definition of ecotourism: “ecotourism is sustainable and nature-oriented tourism and recreation” (Lindberg et al., 1998). Sustainability in tourism means a positive overall balance environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impacts of tourism, as well as the positive impact of visitors on each other. Nature tourism, soft tourism, green tourism, biological tourism, sustainable tourism, and other terms are often used in literature and marketing, although they are not necessarily synonymous with ecotourism. The problems associated with the definition of ecotourism have led to confusion among both tourists and scientists. Terminological problems are the subject of public debate and because of "greenwashing" - the trend towards the commercialization of tourism and the use of advertising and marketing schemes masking real attitude corporations to environmental issues under sustainable, nature-oriented eco-tourism.

nature tourism(nature tourism, nature-based or nature-oriented tourism) - any type of tourism that directly depends on the use of natural resources in their relatively unchanged state, including landscapes, landforms, waters, vegetation and wildlife (Healy, 1998). It follows from the definition that, unlike ecological tourism, the concept of "nature tourism" is based only on the motivation of tourists (outdoor recreation), and, therefore, cannot be considered as a sustainable type of tourism. (Hunting, travel on motor boats and other specific types of tourism, the impact of which can be very different). A variety of natural tourism is biotourism (wildlife tourism) and travel to wildlife(wilderness travel), the purpose of which can be any objects of wildlife, from individual species to communities and biocenoses.

Green tourism(green tourism) implies the use of environmental methods and technologies in the tourism industry. In German-speaking countries, the adjective "ecological" is used very rarely, and the term "soft tourism" (Sanfter Tourismus), or "ecological and socially responsible tourism" is most widely used. This term, as an alternative to industrialized mass tourism, was proposed in 1980 by R. Jungk. Typically, soft tourism is opposed to hard tourism, the main goal of which is to maximize profits. For soft tourism, not only a successful business is a priority, but also concern for the cultural well-being of tourist regions, the sparing use of their resources, and minimization of environmental damage.

Green rural tourism(green rural tourism), or agritourism(agrotourism, farm tourism), especially popular in the USA and countries Western Europe, - recreation in the countryside (in villages, on farms, in comfortable peasant houses). Tourists for some time lead a rural lifestyle among nature, get acquainted with the values folk culture, applied arts, with national songs and dances, local customs, take part in traditional rural labor, folk holidays and festivals.

Adventure tourism(adventure tourism) is also often associated with ecotourism. However, not all adventure tours meet environmental criteria. So, for example, sports and safari tours associated with the extraction of live trophies or the achievement of a sports result at any cost (using cut live trees to build crossings) can be anti-ecological. At the same time, eco-tourism does not always involve adventure elements.

Ukraine with its huge natural resources, unique landscape and climatic conditions and favorable geographical location has exceptionally favorable conditions for the development of ecological tourism and rural green tourism. In Ukraine, the most developed rural green tourism in the Carpathians. This is largely due to natural conditions, developed health resort infrastructure with sources of medicinal mineral waters, the presence of well-known ski resorts, such as Slavske and Bukovel, attracting lovers of winter recreation. A positive role in the development of rural tourism in the Carpathian region was played by the traditionally high level of unemployment, which forced the population to independently solve the problems of their own employment by developing this tourism sector, taking advantage of the favorable market conditions. recent years. The strengthening of the material base of green tourism in the Carpathians is also facilitated by the money of the so-called "Ostarbeiters" working in Poland and other countries Central Europe. Rural tourism in the Crimea has received much less development than in the Carpathians. This is due to the fact that the main flow of tourists rushes to summer rest V resort area on the coast itself, where the most massive is the rest in the private sector of the Crimea. Winter holidays in Crimea is gradually gaining popularity as tourism infrastructure. Rural tourism in Crimea is gradually gaining more and more popularity, as evidenced by the emergence and revitalization of such organizations as the Crimean Association of Rural Green Tourism.

The least developed rural green tourism in Eastern Ukraine. Densely populated areas such as Lugansk and Donetsk have only a few tourist estates, while the real demand for countryside vacations in these highly urbanized areas is very high and is only partially satisfied by the supply of vacations on sea coast or in other regions. Ecotourism, based on the principles of sustainable tourism, can contribute to solving many problems associated with environmental degradation, primarily the degradation of land and water resources, biodiversity. Its development will increase the employment of the population in depressed agricultural areas, which will contribute to the revival of the Ukrainian village.

An indispensable condition for such a revival is environmental education and enlightenment, the “greening” of the economy, including the tourism sector, raising public awareness and providing access to environmental information, as well as the transition from declarative to real policy of sustainable development, with the adoption of appropriate state programs with the involvement and allocation of the necessary funding.